Do more braxton hicks mean anything
Braxton Hicks contractions | Pregnancy Birth and Baby
Braxton Hicks contractions | Pregnancy Birth and Baby beginning of content4-minute read
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If you feel tightening or cramping in your abdomen during your pregnancy, you may be having Braxton Hicks contractions. This is normal and not a sign that you’re ready to give birth.
Braxton Hicks contractions are sometimes called ‘false’ or ‘practice’ contractions.
What are Braxton Hicks contractions?
Braxton Hicks contractions are a tightening in your abdomen that comes and goes. They are contractions of your uterus in preparation for giving birth. They tone the muscles in your uterus and may also help prepare the cervix for birth.
Braxton Hicks contractions don’t cause labour and aren’t a sign that labour is beginning.
If you’re not sure whether what you’re experiencing is Braxton Hicks contractions or actual labour, contact your doctor or midwife. They will be able to tell by doing a vaginal examination — if there are no signs that your cervix is changing, it is not labour.
What do they feel like?
Braxton Hicks contractions feel like muscles tightening across your belly, and if you put your hands on your belly when the contractions happen, you can probably feel your uterus becoming hard.
The contractions come irregularly and usually last for about 30 seconds. While they can be uncomfortable, they usually aren’t painful.
If the pain or discomfort of your contractions eases off, they’re probably Braxton Hicks contractions.
When do you get them?
Braxton Hicks contractions occur from early in your pregnancy but you may not feel them until the second trimester. If this is your first pregnancy, you might start to feel them from about 16 weeks. In later pregnancies, you may feel Braxton Hicks contractions more often, or earlier.
Some women won’t feel them at all.
In late pregnancy, you may experience Braxton Hicks contractions more often — perhaps as much as every 10 to 20 minutes. This is a sign that you are preparing for labour — known as prelabour.
How are Braxton Hicks contractions different from labour pain?
There are some differences between Braxton Hicks contractions and true labour contractions that will help your doctor or midwife decide whether you are in labour:
Braxton Hicks contractions:
- don’t result in your cervix thinning and opening
- usually last for about 30 seconds
- can be uncomfortable, but usually aren’t painful
- come and go at irregular times
- usually occur no more than once or twice an hour (until late in the pregnancy), a few times a day
- usually stop if you change position or activity or go for a walk
- usually go if you have a warm bath or shower
Real labour contractions:
- result in your cervix thinning and opening
- last 30 to 70 seconds
- become very regular
- get closer together
- last longer as time goes by
- get stronger or come more often when you walk
- get stronger over time
Should I call my doctor or midwife?
If you are less than 37 weeks pregnant, contractions can be a sign of premature labour.
Contact your doctor or midwife immediately if:
- you feel pain, pressure or discomfort in your pelvis, abdomen or lower back
- the contractions become stronger, closer together and more regular
- there is fluid leaking or gushing from your vagina
If you are full-term, you may choose to wait until a bit later in your labour, depending on what you have arranged with your doctor or midwife. If your waters break, or your contractions are strong and 5 minutes apart, it’s time to go to the hospital.
As any stage of pregnancy, you should contact your doctor or midwife immediately if you:
- you have persistent pain in your abdomen
- you have vaginal bleeding
- you notice your baby’s movements have slowed or stopped
- you feel very unwell
If you are in doubt, don’t hesitate to call your doctor or midwife for advice.
How can I ease the discomfort?
Braxton Hicks contractions are normal and don’t need treatment.
But if you feel uncomfortable, you can try:
- lying down
- taking a walk
- relaxing in a warm bath
- having a massage
It may help to practise your breathing exercises during your Braxton Hicks contractions.
Sources:
Raising Children Network (23 weeks pregnant), RANZCOG (Labour and birth), Elsevier Patient Education (Braxton Hicks Contractions)Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.
Last reviewed: October 2020
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Related pages
- Giving birth - stages of labour
- Health professionals involved in your pregnancy
- Signs of premature labour
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Frequent Braxton-Hicks: Causes, Risks, and Treatment
Frequent Braxton-Hicks: Causes, Risks, and TreatmentMedically reviewed by Carolyn Kay, M.D. — By Madison Manske on July 30, 2020
As you begin mentally preparing for labor and delivery, your body may do some preparation drills. One such physical preparation can be the onset of Braxton-Hicks contractions.
Braxton-Hicks are non-labor (or “false labor”) contractions that occur regularly during your pregnancy as your body begins to prepare itself for the real thing. The frequency of these contractions can vary based on factors like your activity and hydration levels.
Regardless of the frequency, Braxton-Hicks contractions are quite normal and can really help you know more about what to expect as you count down to the big day.
Braxton-Hicks contractions are common during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Unlike real labor contractions, the cervix doesn’t dilate during Braxton-Hicks contractions. These contractions also tend to be pretty painless.
Braxton-Hicks occur when the uterus muscles tighten and loosen, and they may increase as you approach your due date. They generally come at random times throughout the day and may stop with certain movements or body positions.
You may experience more frequent Braxton-Hicks contractions if you’re:
- on your feet a lot
- dehydrated
- overhydrated
- experiencing stress
- close to your due date
Regardless of the cause, frequent Braxton-Hicks aren’t cause for concern.
But if they don’t ease up, you may want to check in with your doctor in case you might be in labor.
Related: Learn how to tell Braxton-Hicks from labor contractions
It’s important to know the difference between frequent Braxton-Hicks and the frequent and painful contractions associated with uterine irritability.
Uterine irritability refers to a disorganized pattern of activity in the uterus that’s sometimes observed during external fetal monitoring, although it’s not necessarily a diagnosis.
It can result in contractions similar to those experienced with Braxton-Hicks in that the cervix doesn’t dilate as it does during real labor contractions.
Contractions associated with uterine irritability don’t respond to hydration or rest and may feel more like menstrual cramps. They’re also stronger and occur more frequently than Braxton-Hicks contractions. While they may be annoying, they’re mostly harmless and should go away.
However, some underlying causes need treatment.
Possible causes of uterine irritability
Uterine irritability may affect women differently, and the exact cause isn’t clear. Some things may increase its related contractions, such as:
- stress
- dehydration
- an untreated infection
- a urinary tract infection
- lifting heavy things
Talk to your doctor if you think you may have uterine irritability. In most cases, contractions will go away on their own and pose no risk to the mom or baby.
Talk to your doctor if you’re worried about frequent Braxton-Hicks. You may want to record the frequency and pain level of your contractions for your doctor. They’ll use this information to determine treatment, if necessary.
Call your doctor if you experience more than eight contractions in 1 hour or have:
- decreased movement in the stomach
- leaking amniotic fluid
- vaginal bleeding
- painful contractions every 10 minutes or less
Your doctor may recommend that you try some of these things at home to help treat false labor contractions:
- get plenty of rest
- drink water and stay hydrated
- avoid caffeine
- keep an empty bladder
- avoid lifting heavy things
- eat smaller portions more frequently
- reduce your stress and anxiety levels (try these tips)
Braxton-Hicks contractions are a very normal part of pregnancy.
They can occur more frequently if you experience stress or dehydration.
If at any point you’re worried that your false labor contractions are real, consult your doctor. They’ll be more than happy to check and see how things are moving along.
Last medically reviewed on July 30, 2020
- Parenthood
- Pregnancy
- 3rd Trimester
How we vetted this article:
Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.
- Labor and birth. (2018).
womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/childbirth-and-beyond/labor-and-birth - Other labor and delivery FAQs. (2017).
nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/labor-delivery/topicinfo/more_information/questions - Preterm birth.
(2019).
cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/pretermbirth.htm - Raines DA, et al. (2020). Braxton Hicks contractions.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470546/#
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
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Medically reviewed by Carolyn Kay, M.D. — By Madison Manske on July 30, 2020
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false or real / “Waiting for a baby”
February
Shortly before the birth, the expectant mother may be disturbed by training contractions, rhythmic contractions of the uterus, which quickly pass and appear occasionally.
How to distinguish them from real contractions, and why they are needed, we will try to find out.
For the first time, the phenomenon of temporary contractions was described by the English doctor John Braxton Hicks. That is why they are called - Braxton Hicks contractions or false, training contractions, precursor contractions. In his scientific work of 1872, he argued that these contractions are short-term (from half a minute to 2 minutes) contractions of the muscles of the uterus, which are felt by a pregnant woman as an increase in the tone of the uterus. They appear after the 20th week of pregnancy. And during the day they happen often, but the expectant mother in the daytime may not even notice them. However, as time goes on, they intensify, becoming more and more obvious.
WHAT DO YOU NEED FALSE BROUGHT
The uterus is a muscular organ. And like any muscle that has to perform the work allotted to it in the body, it needs training. After all, if she hangs for all forty weeks like a bag, she will not cope with the load in childbirth.
Thus, the purpose of training or false contractions is to prepare the uterus and cervix for childbirth. That is why one of the names of training bouts is contractions harbingers - harbingers of an approaching birth.
ARE FALSE PARTS PAINFUL?
As a rule, false contractions are painless, but with increasing duration they become more noticeable and bring more discomfort. However, in all women, they manifest themselves in different ways, someone does not feel them at all, and someone does not sleep at night, tossing and turning and trying to find a comfortable position for sleeping. It all depends on the pain threshold. The main thing in this situation is to stop being nervous about this and calm yourself with the thought that such training is necessary for the most important upcoming event - the birth of your crumbs. And to calm down a little and sleep better, ask your doctor to prescribe a sedative for you and get a special pillow for expectant and nursing mothers.
With her, falling asleep and experiencing the discomfort of the last weeks of pregnancy will be much easier!
HOW TO LIVE WITH FREQUENT PARTS
Some expectant mothers complain that their Braxton Hicks contractions are frequent and cause significant discomfort, even when they are doing housework or other light physical activity. In such a situation, obstetricians are advised to lie down or vice versa, take an easy walk, in any case, change the type of activity. If training contractions bother you a lot, it is recommended to drink a glass of water, juice or herbal tea, calm down and get some rest. Ask someone close to give you a massage. Lie in silence. And to also benefit from training fights, try doing breathing exercises: practice breathing techniques in childbirth in practice.
HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE TRAINING FROM LIVING
The most important thing to understand is that real contractions are much more painful than Braxton Hicks contractions. You will understand it right away. In addition, the contractions that bring you closer to childbirth are more regular. The contractions begin in the lower back, spread to the front of the abdomen, and occur every 10 minutes (or more than 5 contractions per hour). Then they occur with an interval of about 30-70 seconds and over time the intervals between them are reduced. Some women describe the sensations of labor pains as severe menstrual cramps, or sensations during diarrhea, when the pain rolls in waves in the abdomen. These contractions, unlike false ones, continue even after a change in position and when walking, constantly intensifying. As soon as you feel all these symptoms, call your ob-gyn - hour X has arrived. If in doubt, also do not be afraid to disturb the doctor. The doctor will ask you a few questions that will help him determine the type of contractions and eliminate all your doubts and worries. After all, it is always better to consult a doctor and trust his professional experience.
You should seek help if:
• you have more than four contractions an hour and they happen regularly
• contractions are accompanied by pain in the lower spine
• contractions are accompanied by watery or bloody vaginal discharge
• the contractions are so strong that it is very difficult for you to endure them
• there is a marked change in the child's movement, or less than 10 movements every 2 hours
• you think your waters have started to break
Alla Misyutina, Consultant Physician, Independent Laboratory INVITRO
Dear women, during labor, the body needs a lot of oxygen, so proper breathing is very important. A large influx of oxygen into the blood of mother and baby alleviates the condition of the crumbs, which during childbirth experiences oxygen starvation. Special breathing techniques help to properly open the birth canal and make contractions and attempts as effective as possible.
Different types of breathing should be used at different stages of labor.
• During "false" contractions, breathing should be deep and slow. During the period when the contractions become more intense, it is necessary to use "pain-relieving breathing". This breathing is slow, deep, the inhalation is done through the nose, it should be longer than the exhalation through the mouth. More details: inhale is done at the expense of 1-2-3-4, and exhale - at the expense of 1-2-3-4-5-6. With the help of such breathing: mom relaxes, distracts from pain, focuses on the score; the baby receives as much as possible, so he needs oxygen.
• In breaks from contractions, you need to rest and breathe evenly without any effort, so that you can then easily follow the doctor's recommendations.
• During attempts, you need to exhale all the air from the lungs, then take a deep breath and push for up to 6-9 seconds. Quickly exhale all the air, quickly take a deep breath and again hold your breath for 6-9 seconds, and so on - about three times per attempt.
• In breaks from attempts to rest and breathe deeply, evenly and relaxed.
• It is very important to only push on the perineum and never push on the head. In this case, all efforts are wasted and will appear in the form of burst vessels in the eyes and on the face.
• In the period after the birth of the head, it is necessary to stop pushing and breathing shallowly, some call this breathing “dog-like”, deep breathing can harm both mom and baby. Then everything goes on as usual, the main thing is to obey the doctor.
• After the baby was born, within half an hour the last stage of labor begins - the birth of the placenta. Special breathing is no longer required, at the doctor's command, push a little into the perineum and EVERYTHING! Dear women, pain during childbirth is good, it means that your baby will be born soon. There is no need to resist the pain, this is a mistake that brings a woman and a child nothing but fatigue. On the contrary, it is necessary to concentrate and help in every possible way to give birth to a healthy baby.
BIRTH AGAIN
So, you have decided that this is no longer a “teaching”, but the beginning of childbirth. In addition to contractions, the onset of labor can be indicated by the outflow of amniotic fluid and the passage of a mucous plug that closes the lumen of the cervix. The mucous plug can also come off 2-3 days before delivery. However, her departure does not always mean that it is time to go to the hospital. During pregnancy, the cervix is tightly closed. With the onset of labor pains, its opening begins: the cervix of the uterus gradually expands to 10-12 cm in diameter (full disclosure). The birth canal is preparing to "release" the child from the womb. Intrauterine pressure increases during contractions as the uterus shrinks. And in the end, this leads to rupture of the fetal bladder and the outflow of part of the amniotic fluid.
The first, preparatory, period of labor for women giving birth for the first time takes an average of 12 hours, and 2-4 hours less for those who have second births.
At the beginning of the second stage of labor, contractions join the contractions - contractions of the muscles of the abdominal wall and diaphragm. In addition to the fact that different muscle groups are involved in contractions and attempts, they have one more important difference: contractions are an involuntary and uncontrollable phenomenon, neither their strength nor frequency depend on the woman in labor, while attempts to a certain extent obey her will , it can delay or strengthen them. Therefore, at this stage of childbirth, a lot depends on the expectant mother and her ability to quickly and correctly follow the commands of the obstetrician taking delivery. And most importantly - to tune in correctly and not allow panic and thoughts about something bad. Obstetricians and gynecologists recommend that mothers perceive childbirth as a holiday, a baby's birthday. Then it will be easier to concentrate on the fact that now your main task is to help the baby be born. If, during childbirth, the expectant mother panics, the concentration of adrenaline in her blood will increase significantly.
Which will not have a very good effect on the process of childbirth. Adrenaline affects the synthesis of oxytocin, which significantly weakens contractions and slows down the process of childbirth. In addition, adrenaline completely blocks the production of endorphins, which will increase the feeling of pain during contractions and attempts. That is why it is so important to properly tune in, concentrate and help the baby to be born as soon as possible.
Lilia Egorova
Training bouts: sensations | How long do training contractions last during pregnancy
PreviousNext
- What are practice bouts?
- Why are they happening?
- What week do training bouts start?
- How long do practice bouts last?
- How does it feel during training bouts?
- Are training fights dangerous?
- How can I tell training contractions from labor contractions?
- Is it possible to calculate training bouts somehow easier?
- What to do?
Contents:
“I started having contractions, go to the maternity hospital!” yells the wife early Saturday morning.
A sleepy husband drives a car through the streets of the city, and... at the next traffic light, it turns out that everything has passed. A happy but slightly bewildered couple stops by a nearby cafe for breakfast. Similar situations happen quite often, and training bouts are to blame. Let's figure out what they are and how to distinguish them from the real ones.
What are practice contractions?
As the name suggests, they are not real. These contractions of the uterus are not directed to the beginning of the birth process. Usually they are irregular, rare and do not bring significant pain 1 .
This phenomenon has other names. Sometimes they are called even more obviously - false, as opposed to true labor pains. In specialized literature, you can find the term "Braxton-Hicks contractions" after the name of an English obstetrician-gynecologist 2 , who first drew attention to them and described them.
Why do they happen?
Medicine has no exact answer to this question.
There is not even a consensus on whether they are part of the normal pregnancy process or a deviation from it. Most experts adhere to the first version, considering them to be a warm-up of the body before real childbirth 3 .
It is assumed that false contractions are needed to maintain the tone of the uterus - she, like any other muscular organ, requires periodic exercise. On the other hand, the time of arrival and the frequency of training contractions are very different for different women, and for some mothers who have successfully given birth, these sensations are not at all familiar.
What week do practice bouts start?
They can start already in the middle of pregnancy - from the 20th week 1 , in rare cases even earlier. 2–3 weeks before the planned date, their frequency often increases. In this period, they are called precursors, emphasizing that it is not long before the birth. However, even in the later stages, training contractions do not cause the cervix to open and continue to be only a preparation of the body for the main event.
Start of training bouts by weeks of pregnancy.
How long do practice bouts last?
Contractions last a few seconds, rarely up to 1 minute, and end as suddenly as 1 come. Further, the expectant mother begins to listen to her feelings and wait for new ones, but they do not repeat. When the woman has already completely calmed down, the contractions can return after a considerable time - 4-5 hours.
After several unexpected cases, false contractions become habitual, and the expectant mother ceases to be afraid of them. However, in the last weeks until X hour, they can again surprise you - often training contractions before childbirth become longer and more intense.
In order not to confuse training contractions with real ones, you need to know about the harbingers of childbirth. We share all the necessary information here.
How does it feel during training bouts?
False contractions are not painful, but unfortunately, if this is your first pregnancy, you have nothing to compare.
But there is another sure sign: all the muscles of the uterus participate in labor pains, and during training pain sensations are localized only in one area 4 .
Periodicity and localization of training contractions of the second and the beginning of the third trimester, premonitory contractions, labor pains. Example.
False contractions usually present as muscle spasm in the back, front, or top of the uterus. The intervals between them are irregular, and it is impossible to predict where the attack will move next time. A few weeks before the birth, training contractions, which are now called precursor contractions, will become more frequent, but will retain their character - an attack localized in one area of the uterus. During labor pains, all the muscles of the uterus contract at the same time.
To know exactly how labor begins, read the signs and symptoms of labor.
Training contractions are dangerous?
There is no evidence that training contractions have any effect on fetal development.
Their only danger is psychological. Some women, having felt unexpected contractions of the uterus, fall into a panic, and in this state they can do stupid things.
During pregnancy, you need to worry less. If something causes you mild anxiety, try to distract yourself. For example, take our fun quiz about what kind of mom you would be in the animal world.
Remember that the beginning of any contractions, even labor, does not mean that you will give birth in the next few minutes. There is time, so you need to calm down, take a deep breath, and listen to your feelings. If you're not sure if it's practice or real contractions, call your doctor and describe your symptoms. After listening to your answers, he will tell you what to do - go to the hospital or stay at home.
How to distinguish training contractions from labor contractions?
Expectant mothers almost accurately identify training contractions during the second and subsequent pregnancies.
While you still have no experience, we recommend paying attention to the following signs 5 :
-
Training contractions are rarely painful, rather unexpected. What can not be said about labor - many women compare these sensations with very severe pain during menstruation.
-
Training contractions can usually be stopped. Leisurely walking around the room, breathing exercises and other calming exercises can completely eliminate discomfort in the uterus.
-
They do not differ in regularity and do not have obvious dynamics. In real fights, on the contrary, there is a regularity, a gradual increase in duration and a decrease in the interval between them.
For simplicity, we have collected the distinguishing features of false and true contractions in the table:
Is it possible to calculate training bouts somehow easier?
Mumlife contraction counter.
It just won't work. You still have to listen to your feelings and fix them. But you can get yourself an assistant - a special mobile application for calculating the duration and intervals between contractions. All of these apps work intuitively - all you have to do is press the big button each time an attack starts or ends.
In addition to recording and visualizing contractions, the application has useful additional functions. It tracks the dynamics of seizures and will tell you if it looks like a birth. And it will even show how much time you have left to get to the hospital.
What to do?
You can do nothing - after a while, training bouts will pass by themselves. However, there are several proven methods 5 that help reduce the discomfort during false contractions and make them disappear quickly. Here are some of them:
-
Walk around the house.
Calm, slow walking in most cases allows you to get rid of unexpected uterine contractions.
If the weather is good outside, and there is a place suitable for exercise nearby, you can get some fresh air at the same time - this will not be superfluous. -
Lie down and relax.
If you are not in the mood for walking right now, lie down on the sofa or bed, take a comfortable position and think of something good. It is noticed that the best results are obtained by lying on the left side.
-
Take a bath or shower.
Water relaxes and is just what you need for training bouts. Fill the tub with water or stand under the shower and wait for the contractions to end there - most likely, this will happen very soon. But remember: only warm water, no hot baths and contrast showers!
-
Drink some water.
Dehydration can cause muscle cramps and is therefore also considered a factor in false contractions. Pour a glass of water and drink it slowly, alternating sips, inhales and exhales.
Water can be replaced with some other drink, but only with a useful one, for example, berry juice or rosehip broth. -
Do breathing exercises.
Proper breathing techniques are useful not only during training bouts. Before childbirth, they help to calm down, during childbirth - to relieve pain and better control your body. While the body is training the uterus, you are training your breathing.
-
Go to the toilet.
A full bladder is considered one of the culprits of false contractions: it puts pressure on the uterus, provoking its contractions. So before you settle into bed or go for a walk, do not forget to visit the toilet.
-
Walk around the house.
Calm, slow walking in most cases allows you to get rid of unexpected uterine contractions. If the weather is good outside, and there is a place suitable for exercise nearby, you can get some fresh air at the same time - this will not be superfluous.
